How could Nick just leave me? What could be more important than helping me through this first night of overwhelming information? Where was he going? Now I had to face this night without him.
A crackling, popping sound echoed down the hallway. Were they popping popcorn? Was it burning? Surely I wouldn’t be able to smell it up here in the bedroom?
I got out of bed to investigate, and the carpet felt soft on my bare feet. Instead of wearing my pajamas, I was dressed in my angel costume from the Christmas dance. My fingers danced over the delicate fabric and I turned my head just in time to observe wings pop out of my back. “Weird,” I mumbled.
The crackling and popping grew louder, the smell stronger. Something was definitely burning. I reached forward and opened the bedroom door. I stepped out of the bedroom and into the church vestibule. A flood of people ran towards me and I screamed. But instead of being crushed beneath them, they passed right through me. They didn’t see or feel me. I was nonexistent to them. Suffocating smoke encircled me. The strobe light flashed, and the piercing wail of the fire alarm shrieked above the cries of the people that ran through the hallway and passed through me.
Haunting growls rose up behind me. I turned to look. In the distance, eerie red eyes glowed and began to slowly advance towards me. I recognized those eyes. They were the same ones that stalked me in the hallways at church. These had to be the cerberi.
I ran down the hallway away from the eerie eyes. My wings flapped wildly behind me. They knocked my shoulders and head as I fled. The smoke grew heavier. I gagged as I searched for fresh air and an escape from the growling beasts.
A large wooden door appeared on my left. I pulled on the handle, but it was locked. The smoke continued to gag me. I needed a way to escape, so I ran to the next door. When I pulled, it didn’t budge either.
The hallway seemed to grow longer the farther I ran. The sinister eyes were nearly upon me when I finally came to the last door. I pulled it open and slammed it shut behind me. The eerie red eyes were trapped on the other side.
I leaned against the door to catch my breath. Their snarls echoed in my ears. Claws scratched against the wooden door and gauged away at its surface.
I looked around and realized that I was in the church library. I ran down the center aisle and disappeared down a row. I leaned against the bookshelf and prayed for help. Trails of smoke slithered into the library like snakes released from a sack. Tears filled my eyes as the smoke burned them and blurred my vision.
“Katherine,” a sing-song voice called out. I recognized the voice instantly. It was the man in the hooded sweatshirt — Ramel. “I know you’re in here.”
Where did he come from? I scooted to the endcap and hoped he wouldn’t be able to see me.
“Kate, everything they tell you is a lie,” his voice boomed over the shrieking fire alarm. “How many lies have you already caught them in? Come work for us. We’ll keep you safe.” His voice was getting closer. My heart raced. I held my hand over my mouth to stifle my breathing. “I can hear you: thump, thump, thump,” he mocked. “Your humanity is giving you away.” His sinister laugh sent chills down my spine.
I turned down the row and looked between the books to see if I could find him. He was nowhere to be seen, but I prayed that I could be silent — invisible to him.
And in a way, my prayer was answered. Courage filled me and stomped out the flames of fear. I ran down the aisle between the endcaps and the library walls towards the exit. Halfway there I spotted him through the smoke-filled room. He stood in the middle aisle by the big wooden tables.
“There you are!” he seethed. His eyes were a sinister red and obsidian. He’d revealed his true self — his demonic heritage. We were equidistant to the exit door. “You’re mine!” he bellowed and pointed a claw in my direction.
I ran, pushed open the exit door, and slammed it shut. The bottom hem of my dress caught between the doors. I yanked it free. Ramel was only steps away from the door when I noticed a fire ax. I picked up the ax and shoved the long handle between the two door pulls. I knew this wouldn’t stop him for good, but I hoped it would at least buy me some time. Ramel yanked on the doors, but the ax held firm and shook between the two door pulls.
I turned and surveyed my surroundings. The church library was behind me, but I was no longer in the church. Now I stood in the school parking lot. Only a few cars filled the spaces. The rest were empty. I was alone.
I gulped, unaware of what was happening. Was this part of my transformation? Were these bizarre events and horrifying experiences a way to force me to use skills I didn’t know I had? Was I under attack? Where was Nick or Alex? How come no one was here to help me?
I took a few steps and then heard a menacing growl, then another, and another. I looked around. Three cerberi shadows stalked me. Their amorphous shapes moved like heavy fog.
Panic returned to me. I looked for a way to escape, a way to outrun them. Perhaps I could hide in a car. I quickly looked behind me while the glowing eyes inched towards me. The church library was no longer there; instead it was a car. I slowly walked backwards until the cold metal of the car pressed against my hand. I pulled the handle on the car, but it was locked. Then I edged my body around the side of the car while the cerberi inched closer to me.
When I reached the trunk, I looked around and noticed another car a few parking spaces away. It was my best chance. As the cerberi slowly advanced, their growling shredded my courage.
I ran towards the car. The cerberi howled. Their strange pitch set the tiny hairs on my body on end. I reached the door and knew they were only steps behind me. I clutched the metal handle and pulled. The door didn’t budge. “No!” I screamed and pounded my hand on the window.
The smell of sulfur, even worse than the smell of fire, filled the air around me. I inhaled the noxious fumes and shouted, “Open!” The lock released. The door opened. I dove headfirst into the car. A sheering pain coursed down my back, but I managed to close the car door behind me.
My wings flapped wildly in the midst of the cerberi shadows as they tore them apart. Feathers fluttered in the air and slowly cascaded to the ground. I locked the doors and touched my back. When I looked at my hand, blood stained my fingertips. They’d torn the wings from my body! How is that possible? I don’t have wings. I rested my head on the steering wheel and tried to catch my breath. I tried not to think about the pain that pulsated down my back.
Did I really command the door to open? Was I learning how to use my powers? Were the wings a part of my body? There was so much to figure out. I didn’t know where to begin.
A loud pounding on the window of the driver’s side door caught my attention. Ramel’s demonic face nearly filled the length of the car window. Obsidian irises and blood red pupils glared at me. I clutched the steering wheel and wondered how much more I could take.
His sinister smile revealed his razor sharp teeth. “I have a surprise for you,” he cooed. He slowly held up his right hand. A set of keys dangled from his long claws. “You didn’t think you could escape me, did you?” He slowly tilted his hand back and forth; the keys clanked together.
I stared at the keys as they swung from his claw. How could he possibly have the right keys? Where would they have come from? He had to be bluffing? I sat catatonic in the driver’s seat and behaved like a passenger in this horror ride.
His nefarious laugh froze my blood as he slowly placed his thumb on the button on the key fob. I watched and listened, horrified when I heard the car beep and the latch click. “No! No!” I screamed. I scrambled across the seat into the passenger side and pushed open the door.
I fell out of the car and landed in the church garden. It was spring. Colorful flowers bloomed and their fragrance filled the air. Water gurgled in the fountain. Nick and Alex stood beside the fountain, one on each side. They both called out to me.
“Kate, Kate,” he whispered. “Kate, you’re safe.”
My shoulder moved. My body gently rocked. I opened my eye
s and bolted into Alex’s arms.
“It was just a dream. You were screaming.” He stroked my hair. “Nothing can hurt you. You’re safe.”
I buried my head in his chest and tried to slow my breathing. He was right. I was safe, here in his arms, but what about when he left? When I was all alone?
“Do you want to tell me about it? It may help,” Alex encouraged, his breath warm on my cheek.
I leaned back. The light from his room spilled into the hallway, trickled into my room, and cast a soft glow across his face. “It was terrible,” I whispered. “It felt so real. I could smell and taste the smoke.” I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. “I felt the heat on my skin.”
“You dreamt about the fire?”
“Yes and no. Everything was all mixed up,” I said and shuddered. “Nothing made sense. The only constants were those eerie red eyes and Ramel.”
“Hmm,” Alex nodded. “It sounds like you’re processing everything. Working out how it all fits together.”
“I always wanted to do something special with my life. This was not what I had in mind.” I twisted the blanket in my hands.
“I know,” he said, finally looking more relaxed.
“I can’t imagine going through this alone. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.” I looked at him and then chuckled.
“What? Why are you laughing?” Alex asked, clearly puzzled by my reaction.
“I just remembered.” I stroked my necklace. “I’d be dead if Nick hadn’t shown up.”
“I don’t like thinking about that.” Alex’s brow furrowed and his lips drew together tightly. “It sounds like you had some close calls.”
“Yeah, I guess I did.” I ran my fingers along my necklace. The metal and gemstones comforted me. The butterfly now felt like a part of me. “At the time, I blinded myself to the danger I was in. I guess looking back, it was pretty obvious.”
“People see what they want to see.”
“Nick should be the one here tonight,” I said. It hurt that he left me here alone.
“He would be if he could.” Alex pulled one leg up onto the bed and tucked it under his knee.
“I’m sorry I woke you.” I wanted Alex’s company, but I didn’t want to lead him on. A love triangle wasn’t my thing.
“I wasn’t asleep. I don’t mind.” Alex subtly shook his head. “Kate, let me show you something.”
We drove to Jordan Lake. The full moon lit up the night and stars scintillated in the sky. The water in the sprawling lake was still. Its dark reflective surface mirrored its surroundings. Nocturnal animals provided background music as they hunted for food and searched for love.
“He might be cleaning up already, but at least he can explain it to you,” Alex said as we walked through the dense woods.
“Cleaning what?”
Alex stopped looked at me. “Nick’s a hunter, an avenger. He thinks he’s found Ramel. If he did, he’ll get rid of him tonight.”
“What?” I’d heard of the angel of death and avenging angels, but I never imagined that Nick was one of them. My stomach cramped as I thought about him fighting that monster.
“Don’t worry.” Soft leaves muffled Alex’s footsteps. “This is what he does.”
I followed along quietly. What would we find? What if Nick lost? Would we find his body? We walked farther into the dense woods and lost the advantage of moonlight. Discarded leaves covered the path and dampened the noise of our steps. The bare trees crowded us, their naked branches unashamed as we passed by.
We came to a clearing, and Alex pulled me into the cover of a bush. Nick stood in the center of the clearing, shirtless. I half expected to see him sprout wings, but instead it seemed that his body was more defined and toned. The lake shimmered to his right, and the darkened woods hid unknown mysteries. Nick’s back was to us, and objects hung from a belt he wore around his waist.
“You did a good job hiding,” Nick yelled. “I looked for you among the masses in the city, but you weren’t there.”
“How did you find me?” Ramel shouted as he stepped out of the woods and into the clearing. His voice raised goose bumps on my skin. He was in his demon form. Red pupils glowed in the darkness of night.
“When I couldn’t find you, I realized you weren’t staying in this dimension. You sought safety in the other realm.” Nick stepped closer to Ramel. “I just had to find a portal. There are only so many options.”
Ramel walked sideways and kept his distance from Nick. They did a pre-fighting dance as they moved in a giant circle.
“I only want the girl,” Ramel said. He spread his arms out in a gesture of civility. “Give her to me. I’ll leave the rest of you alone. You can live in peace.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“If that’s your final answer.” Ramel raised his arms above his head. Three cerberi charged out of the woods and rushed at Nick. Their menacing growls pierced the night. I pressed myself against Alex’s side, terrified. My nightmare had become reality.
“Shh. It’s okay,” Alex whispered softly in my ear. “We won’t let them hurt you.” He wrapped his arm around me, and I focused on the battle before me. As the cerberi closed in on Nick, I realized they weren’t just dark shadows anymore. I could make out their bodies, see them. My knowledge of who I was allowed me to see them more clearly.
The cerberi appeared to be a conglomeration of powerful predators, yet they still weren’t like anything on earth. Their heads resembled lions. Thick black manes surrounded their oversized heads. Long sharp teeth — similar to a saber tooth tiger’s — extended out of their muzzles. Their bodies were lean and powerful, like a cheetah’s. Their shiny black fur seemed iridescent in the glow of the night. Their tails were slithering snakes with venomous fangs just waiting to sink into an unlucky victim.
Nick squatted, lowering his center of gravity. As the first cerberus attacked, he gripped the cerberus, stood, and threw it through the air. It yelped and twisted its massive body to right itself before it landed with a splash in the lake.
The second cerberus raced forward, its glowing red eyes focused on Nick. The snake tail was upright, like a snake dancing out of charmer’s basket. As it growled and bared its teeth, the cerberus closed in on Nick. A shiny disc flew from Nick’s hand. The cerberus shrieked as the disc lodged in its head and one red light went out. The beast pawed at the disc. It yelped completely disregarded Nick.
“What happened?” I whispered and pressed my head against Alex.
“Nick took out its eye with a throwing star.” Alex’s breath warmed my neck and ear. The night was now so cold.
As the third cerberus reached Nick, it leapt towards him, foolishly exposing its tender underbelly. Nick slid across the grass, like a baseball player sliding into home plate. He extended his arm under the beast as it flew above him. A shower of glimmering liquid fell from the beast, and its shrieking cry pierced the night. The great beast fell to the ground, dead.
As Nick rolled to stand, the first cerberus attacked again from the side. He kicked the beast in the muzzle. It yelped and retreated, slinking to Ramel’s side.
Now I noticed Nick’s arm. A steel tube, like a long metal glove, covered his arm all the way to his elbow. At the end of the tube, a semicircular blade was attached. This weapon appeared to be useful for blocking attacks and for killing.
“What’s he wearing?” I asked.
“A scissor. Roman gladiators used them,” Alex replied.
Ramel, the cerberus, and Nick began their dance again. They walked in a big circle and maintained a safe distance.
“That didn’t take you long,” Ramel said as he surveyed the destruction.
“Do I make you nervous?” Nick asked. He neared the injured cerberus. It pawed desperately at the throwing star. His powerful throw had thoroughly wedged the star in its eye socket. Each time the beast pawed at the star, tendons and nerves were cut which intensified the pain and caused the beast to cry and wail. Watching and
listening to that miserable creature suffer was unbearable.
“You could never make me nervous,” Ramel said with a laugh. “It will just make my victory that much sweeter when I kill you. Then I will go and claim that pretty little girl of yours.” Ramel’s vicious cackle made the hairs on my arms stand up. I pressed myself closer to Alex. It wasn’t normal to be in the presence of such evil. Alex stroked my arm.
Nick approached the wailing cerberus, careful to avoid the snake tail. He reached down, grabbed its mane, and sliced its throat. Iridescent blood spurted from the wound. It gagged and slumped to the ground, lifeless.
My stomach churned. Was this my new life? Was this my destiny?
“That was kind of you. That’s always been your weakness. Your kind cares too much.” Ramel stroked the head of the remaining cerberus. It hummed as Ramel’s claws ran through its thick black mane.
Their dance was over. Nick and Ramel faced each other, perpendicular to us.
“I guess we should lay some ground rules,” Ramel hissed.
“I know how your type loves rules.”
“No mind control. I know you’d want to win fairly.” He waved a claw at Nick. “Being that you appreciate integrity and honor.”
“I don’t need mind control to defeat you.”
“Then we’re good.” Ramel reached behind his back and pulled out a sword. It was long and hooked on the end, like a scythe.
“What’s that?” I asked. All I could think of was the Grim Reaper’s weapon, but this was too short. This was more like the length of a regular sword but more curved.
“It’s a harpe.”
Nick unsheathed a double-edged sword that glinted in the moonlight.
“What’s that?” I was becoming overwhelmed by how much I had to learn.
“A xiphos,” Alex said. I slowly shook my head, unnerved at the sight before me. Alex didn’t seem nervous, but would he even show it if he was?
Four glowing eyes glared at Nick. He stood with one leg ahead of the other, his knees slightly bent. The wicked pair moved simultaneously. They raced at Nick and approached him from both sides. The cerberus roared and attempted to bite Nick, but he deflected the beast by side-kicking its body. The force of Nick’s blow sent it rolling backwards. The beast yelped as it tumbled. Concurrently, Ramel reached Nick and raised his harpe to strike a blow. Nick blocked the blow and then tried to stab Ramel with his sword. Ramel dodged the sword and cursed. The cerberus circled around and sunk its saber teeth into Nick’s arm.
Scintillate (Scintillate Series Book 1) Page 30